It just got a little easier for professional stage actors and stage managers to get health coverage.

The Equity-League Health Trust Fund has announced that Actors Equity Association members now need to work only 11 weeks in a 12-month period to get six months of health care coverage. That’s a week less working time than previously.

Members who work 19 weeks in a 12-month period are eligible for a full year of health coverage, also a week less than previously.

The new policy becomes effective Dec. 1 and includes work done before Sept. 28. The policy will remain in effect through September 2019.

"It’s a historic move," said AEA spokesperson Maria Somma. "The eligibility change affects any member who works under an Equity contract. Often that one extra week made a huge difference."

Madeleine Fallon, chair of the Equity Caucus/Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Equity-League Health Trust Fund, said, "The mutual goal of the trustees is to provide quality benefits for the largest possible number of Equity members who work under the union’s contracts. This does that."